Ep 9 - Polar Bear Conservation in Canada with Dr. Andrew Derocher

In this episode, Mark and Curtis are at the University of Alberta joined by Dr. Andrew Derocher. This episode explores one of the world’s most iconic wild animals – the Polar Bear. Topics discussed include the things that make a polar bear tick, fat vacuums, chill bears, ponies with teeth, whether polar bears are land or marine mammals, their conservation status, what polar bear habitat really is, a half-baked plan to introduce polar bears into the Antarctic, polar bear politics and catching polar bears versus grizzly bears. Dr. Derocher gives us a run down on his research in the Canadian Arctic and explains how these bears are fairing with climate change, and he distinguishes between traditional knowledge, local knowledge and science as it relates to polar bear conservation. Andy also digs into Nunavut’s new Polar Bear Management Plan as well as, what polar bear sustenance hunting and trophy hunting means to Indigenous People in the Canadian Arctic. Lastly, we learn what a banana seal is and how many degrees of separation we have from super scientist Dr. Fred Bunnell at the University of British Columbia.   Follow Dr. Derocher on Twitter at AEDerocher and check out his book, Polar Bears: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior. John Hopkins University Press.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices